This invention relates to an information transfer management process and devices therefore.
It will first be noted that the word  less than  less than program greater than  greater than  is used here to mean any type of digitally transmitted information, whether it be for example computer programs supplied over an Internet type of network, or cinema or television programs distributed via a cable or via terrestrial hertzian waves or via any other type of medium.
EP-A-0 778 512 describes a process enabling the provision, via a server to any a priori unauthorized third party, of a non executable version of a protected piece of software. After a possible authorization has been checked, a utility program which is also provided by the server, generates a version which is executable from the non executable version. This executable version only exists for the time necessary for its execution, and only in the volatile memory, such that the user cannot access it.
Yet, in this process as in any known process in connection with information transfer, programs and program drives, whether fixed or mobile, portable or not, are incapable of providing or managing identification or exploitation information in an interactive management way. For the content producer, this results in poorly traceable use of his productions when they are exploited.
Due to the multiplication of transmission means, along with the globalization of program providers, it is of importance to install within terminals, access principles the application processing capacity of which is more accurate, more secure and better adapted to the users"" actual needs. Information service operators only have partial back access to the operations or applications which are not compatible with regard the medium, which is in contradiction with the information management techniques imposed by globalization. These clustering also effect in limiting access to programs and therefore in increasing their operation costs and amortization duration. Furthermore, pirate copies of some program elements on electronic medium for example cannot be efficiently traced back and controlled by eligible parties.
For example, in the television sector, whether it be pay-TV or not, there exists no a posteriori control means for program unit transactions. On the other hand, when transaction exchanges are activated, some confidential information is made available during the connection dialogue. Furthermore, it is impossible to allow program identification or to localize terminals, whatever the medium or information carrier used.
Current management systems are only partial systems which do not allow any hierarchised opening according to the related prerequisites, whether at the technical or legal level. Total traceability is unrealistic because neither the program nor the equipment are provided with an identifier and because the only available and prevailing access control with the terminal is an active or passive gate which operates with a simplified key. The use of terminals and the reading of the programs within geographical areas where the broadcaster has not acquired exploitation rights for the work is hence possible. This also represents an issue in the field of video program distribution, in which some legal obligations have to be met regarding the broadcasting chronology of the country where the work is exploited. For a program to be broadcast on a large scale, at the level of a continent or of the world, it should comprise its own identification information which should be managed by a locatable terminal in relation with an appropriate management center.
This invention aims at solving the above mentioned problems.
To achieve the above-mentioned goals, the invention is first related to a process for the management of information transfers from a transmission medium to a terminal drive, more specially a locatable drive, characterized in that it comprises the following steps:
provide customized encoding data to said terminal drive from a management center during an initialization procedure;
transmit encoded information on program reading authorizations from said management center to said terminal drive;
have said encoded information interpreted by said terminal drive by using said customized encoding data, when a program is presented to said terminal drive, carry out the terminal check to ensure that it is authorized to read the said program according to the interpreted information and to an identification code sent along with said program;
have the program read by said terminal drive if it is authorized to do so;
after the program has been read, provide information to said management center via said terminal on the carried out operations.
Encoding data which are shared by both the management center and the terminal drive are preferably personal and at least partially confidential for the user and are never fully exposed to the benefit of a third party. Part of these data at least are therefore supplied to the terminal before it is operated and apart from any open communication.
Transmissions between the terminal drive and the management center are usually carried out over a network the architecture of which can be exposed to any outside, hence non secure intervention.
Therefore, at least three security levels are provided.
Firstly, encoding data which are supplied to the terminal when it is initialized are known by the management center only. More particularly, they can take the terminal geographical location into account so that subsequently given authorization can depend on this location.
Furthermore, authorizations to read, which are usually transmitted on a punctual basis to the terminal over an open network, are themselves encoded and customized so that only one specific terminal can interpret them according to the encoding data it has been provided with.
Finally, each program is provided with an identifier which will allow a specific terminal to read it only if, on the one hand, the reading authorization has been provided by the management center and if, on the other hand, this authorization has been correctly interpreted by means of the encoding data.
Hence, the management center which has been informed, usually in a confidential manner, of the reading of a specific program will later be able to carry out invoicing and collection for the corresponding amount and then distribute the rights amongst the various eligible parties or concerned third parties. It should be noted that it is preferred that the terminal keeps record within its memory of the carried out actions so as to enable the on-site checking of the accuracy of the transactions.
Peripheral elements, whether fixed or mobile, can be served by the terminal""s capacities with regards reading authorizations granted by eligible parties for this type of equipment.
The invention therefore enables electronic exchanges to be controlled, still maintaining the secrecy and anonymity character of the transaction, and this, whichever the medium used. The process according to the invention carries out a permanent management of data which are unknown to everybody but the management center so that the confidential information which is requested for the good operation are never available or exposed over the used communication media. Remaining information, which is exposed, then become unusable because it is only partial information and therefore inconsistent for any pirate. Any carried out transaction can therefore be authenticated by both the management center and the terminal.
The program contains identifying auxiliary equipment enabling services requested by the terminal user to be executed or not. The terminal matches its distribution capacities with the possible scenarios offered by the program and, if necessary, the access thereto which can be controlled by the management center. The terminal is provided with a secured memory the data processing capacities of which are for one part directly loaded during initialization so as to ensure matching with the management center. Should the management center receive an incoming order from the terminal, memory capacities downloading of this latter can be activated so as to receive the instructions which correspond to the request. The application capacities of the terminal and its memory allow information to be processed in an autonomous way and whichever the medium, without requiring any permanent link with the management center. For more specific applications a simplified direct interactive link can be requested from the management center by the terminal. In the case of applications requiring more important capacities, additional memories can be hosted by the terminal. The terminal can always be located by the management center which controls on request both the address of the terminal and the users"" credit, and this in a totally confidential way when capacities are used. The terminal and the management center are provided with initial secret information which they manage alone, in accordance with the telephone and electronic coordinates of the terminal user.
This invention relates to a multi-application processing process for a locatable terminal, whether customized or not, in which at least one connection is established with an identified program dedicated to the execution of an application, said program imposing its technical or non technical operation conditions to the terminal so that functions are made available. If necessary, the terminal has a punctual dialogue with the management center via a low rate simplified link, for the implementation of capacity inputs and outputs of the latter, the management center becoming or not slaved to the terminal at the application level, vis à vis the incoming program. This invention also relates to the program and terminal identification process during operation.
The program presents an identification order to the terminal and then the terminal gets an application order to be executed according to this identification order. The terminal interprets the application orders with which it is punctually provided by the management center, carries out corresponding operations and acknowledges them. Should the program identification require an application response from the management center, the terminal sends an incoming order to the management center, said incoming order including the application response which acts as a query application order to be executed with the management center. The management center has a dialogue with the terminal so that its inputs and outputs are made available. If not, then the central unit of the terminal manages the programmed instructions in autonomy and memorizes the executed inputs and outputs in order to distribute them during a future query made by the management center or the user. These solutions are applicable, whichever the medium or program medium. They solve the problem linked to the clustering of the different information media.
The application field for such a process is very large as the terminal""s operation capacities can be used for non identified programs, the application then being transparent, and also for identified programs aimed at being connected to a terminal which is remote or not from the information processing, fixed or mobile, portable or non portable, linked to the management center or not.
This invention also relates to the program identification process, a locatable terminal and a management center, whether they be fixed or mobile, portable or non portable, each comprising a central unit which is connected to various peripheral equipment such as a file, a keyboard, a modem, a DTMF transmitter, a Network Interface Module (NIM) and a monitor. Many management centers connected over the same network can process in synergy the applications concerning the terminals.
In case of duplication or broadcasting of a program by the terminal, the terminal can add to the data which has been copied or broadcast on the new medium, an identification code related to the addressing coordinates of the terminal. Hence, a new use of the copied program shall not only benefit the original eligible parties, but also the sender of the copy or of the broadcast, which will then be regarded as an intermediate distributor.